Helping Paws Pet Haven, Inc.

How We Began:

In the fall of 2001 we were living in the town of Huntington, IN, and started feeding a rough looking feral tomcat. We named him Ralph, and at the slightest squeak of the door knob he would fly off of the porch and be gone. It took months to gain his trust, but he was so worth the wait! We were unable to take him in the house so we created a nice space for him and moved him into the garage. Somewhere along the line we thought it would be a good idea to start a cat rescue. Crazy as it was, we did.
We found a property, out on State Road 9, with a house for us, a building we could renovate to start a Rescue/Cattery and a barn for storage; so everyone moved, including Ralph. We had our first meeting December 15, 2002, and to our surprise people came! People that we didn’t even know came wanting to support us and be involved. We are fortunate to have some of those people still involved today. Another surprise, people gave money! Donations came in for us to start the non-profit, purchase supplies and get the rooms for the cats constructed.
We opened our doors January 2003 to accept our first residents with Ralph greeting them with open paws. Like most rescues and shelters, that first year was tough and there have been a lot of changes since then.
The renovated building turned Cattery, had a wood burner for heat. That meant purchasing wood, storing it and getting up during the night to keep it going! It also did not have water. We used a garden hose from the barn (with cold water) to wash litter boxes and bowls outside and we used milk jugs to carry water inside to fill bowls.
Our first Banquet in October 2003 raised enough money to put in a furnace. The huge wood burner was sold. With that money we purchased a hot water heater and utility sink which were installed in a small room we had built for them in the barn. This is where we still wash litter boxes.
A garage sale raised money to add the central air in 2004. In 2006, Ralph, with the help of two wonderful ladies, composed a letter asking for donations to have water installed into the cattery. I must say, getting hot water and a sink actually in the cattery was the best thing, next to getting rid of the wood burner, to be accomplished. I still thank you ladies very much! You don’t know how much you miss something or what an inconvenience it is until you don’t have it.
Meanwhile, Ralph has stayed busy helping settle in any new residents and keeping control of his room. He really is a great cat and mascot. He knows he has a position and takes it very seriously. Ralph reminds me of John Travolta in Grease. He always has a group around him, the girls swoon over him and the guys want to be like him.
There have been other changes big and small, but this was our beginning. We could never have done it, or continue to do it, without your help. Thank you!